


On the Perks of Gouged Ice

by x_carnivale_x (commodorecliche)



Category: Hockey - Fandom, Star Trek RPF
Genre: Cold kisses, Cute, Falling In Love, First Time, Fluff, Hockey, Ice Skating, Kisses, Kissing, Love, M/M, Making Out, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Penguins, Romance, sweet and sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 15:56:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2627540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commodorecliche/pseuds/x_carnivale_x
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zach really likes ice hockey, and Chris gets a very brief ice-skating lesson.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>"Hah... I'm. I'm restraining myself from making an <i>I'm flying, Jack, I'm flying!</i> reference right now."</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Perks of Gouged Ice

**Author's Note:**

> This was written several years ago, when the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup. I was so excited, I couldn't help but write this huge basket of fluff. Decided to upload it here to AO3 as well. 
> 
> It's nice that Zach is from Pittsburgh, too, though I have no idea if he likes hockey or not.

Chris texts Zach around 8:00 in the evening saying he's bored and wants Zach to come over so they can chill, or so they can go out somewhere. Chris gets a reply message around 8:03 in the evening from Zach. Much to his surprise, it lacks Zach's usual eloquence, even under text, and instead Zach's choice of wording is obviously plain and curt. 

_"Can't go out right now."_ It says. Chris furrows his brow, Zach would have normally at least put the simplistic message in more complicated terms - Chris imagines it would be something along the lines of _"I'm terribly sorry, Christopher, but I can't accompany you out of our places of residency tonight."_. Chris also thinks this would be best if imagined in a British accent, but he tells himself to quit getting distracted and to text Zach back.

 _"Well, can I come over?"_

He expects a lengthy explanation of possibly why he can't go and join Zach at his place, instead he receives yet another brief reply and he can only stare at his phone in confusion for a moment at the abruptness of Zach's words.

 _"Bring beer or munchies."_

He can only assume that this some form of invitation, and he quirks his head to the side before closing his phone and running out to the mini-mart. He doesn't know what to buy exactly, given the fact that Zach has given him a choice. Tostitos or Budweiser? Chris buys both. He gets to Zach's place in a matter of 20 minutes, carrying two 12-packs of beer and a bag of Tostitos in his arms, and he doesn't bother to knock. Instead, he gingerly sets the goodies down on the step and reaches under the plant for Zach's spare key and enters the house slowly. 

The front entrance of the house is dark and Chris is slightly confused, but he shuts the door behind him. He calls out into the dark house while trying to simultaneously balance the beer and chips in his arms and slip off his shoes. 

"Zach?" 

But he gets no reply and he pauses and stares down the hallway, before shuffling down in his now sock-clad feet. He slides into the kitchen and sets the supplies onto Zach's counter, but he still hasn't located the older man. He leans on the marble top for a moment, hearing only the faint, mumbling sound of an announcer on the living room television. He lets his tongue touch his upper canine and he stares absentmindedly yet curiously into the air as he yells out a little louder now. 

"Zach?" 

To his surprise, there's a response this time. It's faint, almost as if it's far away, or merely distracted, and Chris isn't really sure which of the two it is. It mumbles something Chris can't quite understand. So he tries again. 

"Za-aach?" 

He yells louder that time, a taunting new inflection added to his voice, as he starts to move to walk out of the kitchen and back down the hall towards Zach's living room. Another faint response, and he can barely make it out, but he notes that it sounds like Zach's copying his attempt at a sing-song tone. 

_"Shut uu-uppp."_

Chris pauses - he must have heard wrong. He tries a new approach. 

"Marco?" 

"...Quinto." 

Chris lets his eyes close and he chuckles quietly, "That's not how the game goes, you know." He walks further and finds Zach sitting on the edge of his couch, elbows on his knees, hands clasped and watching the television intently. 

"...Dude what are you doing?"

"Silencio." 

"Excuse me?" 

"Shut your face, woman." Zach mumbles as he bites down onto his knuckles, still watching the television screen. Chris is still reeling from the fact that Zach just called him a woman and he moves to further investigate what exactly it is that Zach is watching so fixedly. Chris's brows furrow and he glances at the TV anyway - it's a hockey game. _That_ is the reason he just got called a woman? Chris begins to feel annoyed, then bitter. It's when he's edging towards 'comically hostile' that he goes and stands beside Zach and stares at him expectantly. His lips purse when Zach barely acknowledges his presence and he chooses to talk to gain the man's attention. 

"Since when do you like hockey?" 

Zach says nothing. Chris tries again.

"I brought beer and munchies, as per request."

Nothing.

"In the kitchen." 

Silence. 

"Meaning... not in the living room."

Silence. Chris glances away, thinking for a moment. He glances back and tries again. 

"I fucked your mother last night and she **loved** it."

 _Still_ nothing. Chris's eyes squint and he likes to believe that he looks irritated, and he refuses to admit that all the face has probably done is wrinkled up his forehead. He glares anyway, and he half expects Zach to say something at least in response to his stupid facial expression. But he doesn't. He keeps on watching the fucking hockey game. Chris starts to listen to the announcer's commentary, but as he does, he suddenly realizes that the program is going on a break and Zach is standing up. 

The brunette yells "Commercial!" and casually walks over and pelts Chris across the back of the head, mumbling something about not talking about his mother that way - she is a saint. Chris stands dazed as Zach walks past him towards the kitchen. He feels like a moron but he follows. He hears Zach's voice go up an octave. 

"Oooooh, Tostitos!" 

He sees Zach opening the bag and smiling at him, and Chris is confused. 

"....You're welcome. So. Why exactly did you hit me and ignore me?" He mumbles while still rubbing his scalp - it didn't really hurt that bad, but hey, acting is important sometimes. He got money for it usually. 

"Dude. Game's on." 

"I can see that. What game?"

" **THE** game, Christopher, **THE** game." 

Chris doesn't care that much, but Zach is now offering him a beer and telling him something about it being the third period and that they need to hurry and go back and watch it. [Zach makes sure to subtly emphasize that Chris should probably not talk too much. This is 'the game', after all.] He follows Zach and sips his beer and plops down next to his friend and attempts to focus on the hockey game in front of him. 

He glances at Zach a few times during the final 20 minutes of the game. The dark haired man is biting his nails, and jiggling his knees, and he hasn't even touched his beer. Chris sips absentmindedly on his and sees that the score is now 2-1, Pittsburgh in the lead. He doesn't know if this is good or bad; what does he know about hockey other than the fact that it is an entirely legal game move to chuck your opponent against a wall? 

It's the last minute of the game, and even Chris has started picking up little tidbits of information about the plays as he's watched, and he can tell that Detroit has had a few _really_ close calls for scoring on Pittsburgh, and he also notices how Zach seems to twitch every time the announcer says that Pittsburgh needs to fight a little harder and keep the puck out of their zone. 

Chris agrees, he supposes?

The clock is ticking down, and it seems that the officials have been stopping the time every few seconds. The score is still 2-1, and he hears Zach grunt when they stop the clock at 30 seconds left. Zach moans when they stop the clock at 14.1 seconds left. And he practically shouts when they stop the clock at 6.2 seconds to go. Chris does his best not to laugh. But then the clock is ticking down again and all of a sudden, Chris swears that Zach has changed genders, as his voice goes higher than Chris even thought possible, screaming **YES, OH GOD, YES** and he's dancing around the room in what Chris _thinks_ is happiness. Zach finally stops flailing around the living room and stops his high pitched squeals and he turns to stare down at Chris while he's panting and smiling, arms still above his head in victory. Chris just smirks up at him and takes another sip of his beer before speaking casually. 

"I'm assuming you like Pittsburgh?" 

Zach just chuckles breathily and grabs his beer and takes a large swig of it and plops down next to Chris.

"Phew, man, I don't know about you, but that game... hot damn it was stressing me out." 

"Sorry, I wish I could say I shared the sentiment, but alas." 

Zach just punches his arm lightly and Chris smiles and finishes the beer in his hands and clanks the bottle on the coffee table. He clears his throat and stands, moving to take his beer bottle to the kitchen and to put the others in the fridge. He isn't really feeling having another one. He mumbles as he walks away from Zach. 

"So since when do you care about hockey?" 

He hears Zach laugh from the other room and reply as he joins Chris in the kitchen.

"Dude, I played in high school and for a couple years in college." 

Chris just glances over Zach's form and smiles. Leaning new things about this man each and every day. 

"And do not make a 'you strike me more as a figure skater' joke." Zach says calmly. 

Chris just chuckles and says he wasn't going to. [Which is a lie.] 

"I guess now that I think about it, you do kind of have hockey player build. Kinda. Was it hard?" 

"Eh, kind of. When you first start, it's so hard to always know where the fucking puck is, or even to just make sure you're passing to your team and not the other team." 

"I think it would just be the ice skating that got me." Chris says with a laugh. 

"Can't skate?"

"Never tried. It looks cool though. I used to want to at least try it." 

Zach leans on his arms on the counter and stares at Chris who's standing across from him. 

"I'll teach you." 

"Oh will you now?" Chris laughs. 

"Yeah. Let's do it." Zach lets his hand hit the counter top for emphasis. 

"What? Now?" mutters Chris with a sudden confused irk of his brow.

"Yes, now. Let's go." 

"It's 11:30 dude." 

"And you obviously haven't been to our gym in a while. You know there's a rink on the lower level, right? And - as you know - the place is 24 hours. So let's go." 

Chris suddenly wants to protest, wants to mention the beers they've had and something about how they shouldn't drive, even though he knows it's a stupid argument because he's only had one, and Zach never even finished his first. Intoxication suddenly no longer a necessary aspect of the evening. And Zach is already trotting away to get his keys. Chris finishes putting away all 22 of their untouched beers, and Zach comes back with keys and skates - two pairs - and he smiles at Chris while motioning to the car. Chris follows him, doesn't put up a fight, but he's not sure right now if he's nervous, excited, or wanting to just think of some excuse to back out of this whole thing. But he gets in the car anyway and rides with Zach as the older man babbles on about how there probably won't be anyone there. Chris wonders if it'll be cold and he thinks that maybe Zach keeps a jacket or something in his locker. 

The ride is short, as Chris expects, and they're parking and walking towards the building, Zach excitedly leading the way. He swipes his card at the entrance and they slip in and move towards the locker rooms. Chris notes that he sees maybe one other person at the gym, and he thinks that they're probably just an employee. He is silently thankful. Zach goes quickly to his locker and as he's putting in his combination, he turns to glance back at Chris before speaking and opening the locker door. 

"Hey, do you have a jacket on you? The rink will probably be pretty chilly. Plus, ice on bare skin doesn't feel great." 

Chris chuckles to himself at that and just mumbles that he didn't bring one. Zach says it's fine - he keeps an extra in his locker - and he tosses it to Chris. He tells Chris to follow him and they move quickly through the building and down the stairs towards the basement. Chris seriously had no clue that this area of the gym even existed, let alone that there was an ice rink in it. Zach glances around, the rink is dimly lit and he tells Chris to hang on and he trots over towards another door and flicks a switch. The rink lights up a little more, but it's still not bright. Chris doesn't mind - the glow from the lights is soft, and he can see, so it should be fine. He notes how cold it is in there and slips Zach's jacket on and zips it up. Zach is back beside him again and they're sitting down on the bench as Zach starts to slip his shoes off. Chris follows suit. 

"Hm, you're about a shoe size smaller than me, right? That's not too bad, these should be fine, we'll just make sure they're laced really tight." 

"Uh, kay." Chris mumbles. Zach notices his pause and looks at his companion while absentmindedly slipping on his skates. 

"Nervous?" 

"Hah, a little, but no, I guess I just never really thought I'd be at a gym at 11:45 at night. wearing figure skates." 

Zach stiffens and points a finger at Chris, speaking firmly. 

"Hey. Watch your mouth, young man. These are hockey skates. Not figure skates." 

Chris bites his lip and looks at the skates. 

"Yeah. They're bulky." 

"Well _princess_ , you have two options, really. You can A) look like a cupcake in figure skates or B) look like a badass in hockey skates. Which would you prefer?" 

"...Badass..." he mumbles in quiet, ashamed response. 

"That's what I thought." Zach says with a triumphant nod. Next thing Chris knows, Zach's skates are on and he's turning to Chris on the bench and handing him a pair. "Just put them on like shoes, they're gunna be a little loose, but nothing bad. I'll tighten them up for you." Chris does as he's told, slipping the skates on with ease, and in the next instant, Zach is crouching in front on him on the ground, pushing up his pant leg and tightening the laces forcefully. Chris is thankful for Zach's determination - anything that makes him less likely to fall is good in his book. Zach finishes, and the skates feel fine, and Zach is suddenly standing and offering his hand to Chris. 

"Walking is gunna feel kinda weird. But don't worry, you'll get used to it, and we aren't going far." 

Chris takes his hand and lets Zach pull him to his feet and he immediately feels off-balance. This does _not_ bode well for him, he thinks to himself. But he strides as carefully as he can after Zach towards the entrance to the ice. Zach opens the waist high door and steps out onto the ice and turns around to face Chris, who's still standing at the edge of the rink off the ice. 

"Just step on. You'll be okay." 

But Chris doesn't move, shaking his head slightly. Zach just smiles and offers both his hands out to Chris. 

"Here, grab my hands and step out." 

"What if I fall?"

"Then you fall. Not a big deal. Plus, nobody's gunna see you but me."

Chris swallows thickly and nods his head, putting his hands into Zach's and taking a tentative step out onto the ice. One skate is on and he's pushing against Zach's grip which are just barely helping him stay upright. But somehow, he still has his balance, and he steps out with the other foot. He swaggers for a second, muttering "Oooh, shit" as he wobbles, but next thing he knows, he's got his balance and he's standing face to face with Zach. Zach just smiles at him. Chris lets himself smile back, suddenly proud of himself. 

"See? It's not so bad. You think you're ready to move?" 

Zach has to tell himself not to laugh as he sees Chris's eyes go wide. 

"...On my own??" 

"Hah, no. Just keep your feet parallel to each other, stand straight, hold onto my hands and trust me. Think of me as training wheels. Or... training skates, rather." 

Chris plasters on a nervous smile and nods reluctantly. Zach nods back. 

"Alright, ready? Here we go, nice and easy." 

Zach steadily and very slowly starts to move his legs to push himself backwards, and he notes that as soon as he does, Chris's grip on his hands tighten. He just smiles and keeps moving backwards slowly, pulling Chris along with him. Chris looks horrified at first, but Zach can see he's starting to relax, and then suddenly, as they're moving consistently, Chris is actually smiling. He lets out a little breathy laugh and mumbles while staring at his feet then back up at Zach. 

"Heh, I'm skating." 

"You're doing good. Just keep it nice and steady." Zach turns his head quickly to glance behind him, gauging how much room they have until they'll have to turn or stop and turn around. He turns his head back to Chris and talks again. "So, do you think you can handle a really gentle curve? Or would you rather just stop and turn around?" 

Chris doesn't respond immediately, instead he glances past Zach, then at Zach, past him, then back again. 

"Uh, um. Let's-let's stop and turn around. We'll see about an actual turn the other way." 

Zach just laughs and says okay, and he glides his skates gently against the ice to stop and steady them. They stand still for a moment, both just smiling and Chris chuckles breathily. 

"Dude, I'm ice skating."

"Fun, huh?" 

"Yeah."

"Ready to go again?"

"Yeah, I think." 

"Okay, how about we try you facing forward and I'll push you?" 

"You think that'll work?"

"Yes... Just relax, you'll be fine. And think of it this way: if you fall, I'm going down with you, so at least you aren't alone." 

"Heh, okay, let's do this." 

Zach nods and helps Chris turn to face the other way. He skates up a little closer behind Chris, his chest just barely touching Chris's back and his head hovering comfortably over Chris's left shoulder. He put his hands on Chris's waist and told him to relax and he pressed a leg forward to send them skating slowly again across the rink. Zach pushes them forward leisurely and talks quietly to Chris.

"Here, put your arms out." 

"...Excuse me?" 

"Seriously, just trust me. I've got you, you aren't going anywhere, put your arms out." 

So Chris - _very_ hesitantly - lifts his arm from his sides and holds them out. They're moving very gradually and slowly, and Chris knows this, but he can't help but feel like he's speeding along as a little tiny bit of wind catches the tips of his fingers. 

"How's that feel?"

"Hah... I'm. I'm restraining myself from making an _I'm flying, Jack, I'm flying!_ reference right now."

"I'd appreciate it if you abstained from any forms of Titanic references for the evening." 

"Duly noted. This is really cool though. Is this how you learned?" 

"Yeah, pretty much. I guess I was in middle school or so, and my mom knew how to skate. So she used to take me to this old rink in Pittsburgh in the evenings when there was nobody there, and she'd lead me around until I got tired. Did that for a while, then eventually, I got confident enough to try it on my own. And... the rest is history. I went into hockey as soon as I got to high school." Zach pauses, eyeing the end of the rink. "Alrighty, really slow turn, okay?" 

"Okay. How do I do it?"

"I'll mostly be leading you, I probably won't need too much from your skates, but if you want to try, we'll be turning left. so just kind of... angle the front of your skates to the left, the backs pointing the right and just lean a _little_. Just, ever so slightly, so we'll make a big turn. Kay?"

Chris inhales deeply through his nose and mutters an affirmative response. 

"Alright, just a second. Kay, really gentle. Gradual angle now. Keep it soft." 

And the next thing Chris knows they're turning, moving around the curve of the rink slowly and both of them still standing upright. Chris smiles and laughs again. He lets himself relax more, reveling in the way it felt to be moving across the ice, regardless of how slowly they were moving. He tells himself not to focus on the way Zach's fingers feel as they hold onto his hips, or the way that Zach's cheek is dangerously close to his. He swallows thickly as the two of them hug the edge of the rink, taking each curve slowly, until finally Zach is whispering quietly in Chris's ear.

"Wanna try a little faster?" 

"I don't know, man... Can you keep it controlled?"

"I won't go too fast, I promise." 

"You swear?"

"I swear. Just a little faster, kay? I'll turn you. Don't worry." 

He pushes off with a little more force on his skates and their speed increases and this time, Chris really does feel like he's flying. He's trying to focus really hard on making sure his skates are in the right positions, or on when he should be helping Zach turn, but all he can really pay attention to is the way that Zach is holding his waist tightly, and his chest is against Chris's back, and right now, it's like he's soaring across an open field of white, and he wonders why he waited so long to do this. He doesn't know. And he lets himself turn his head just slightly so that Zach's cheek is pressed against his, and he can feel his companion's smile. 

The sudden sense of glory he feels is incredibly short-lived though, as suddenly he feels the edge of his skate catch in a divot in the ice and before he even realizes what's happened, he's lost his balance, along with Zach, and they're toppling forwards together onto the ice. Chris tumbles a bit, landing on his back, and he stays that way, sliding across the ice, Zach - half on his ass - right next to him. Zach looks down at Chris, slightly bemused by the confused and shocked expression on Chris's face, and he flops down on his back on the ice too. It's cold beneath their bodies but Chris doesn't care too much. His ass hurts a little now, but he's sure he'll be fine, and he's looking over at Zach, and all Zach can do is laugh and smile before mumbling something across the ice. 

"I guess I should've warned you about what hockey players do to ice." 

"You fucking make holes in it?" Chris says incredulously.

"Something like that. We aren't nice to it, to say the least. It's called gouging. Someone must have been out here before we came out." and Zach laughs again, but doesn't move to sit up. Just stays on his back beside Chris, and Chris - despite the cold, and despite the sudden soreness in his bottom area - is feeling just fine lying there too. 

He turns his head to the right and smiles at Zach. And he sees the smile fade from Zach's face. He doesn't look sad, Chris notes, just serious all of a sudden. Chris's brows furrow slightly, and he wants to ask Zach what's wrong. But he doesn't want to talk, cause he's finding himself suddenly engrossed in how utterly _dark_ the irises of Zach's eyes are. And he's nervous all of a sudden. Under the dim lights of the rink, Chris can't decide if he likes the look that Zach is giving him or not. Can't figure out if he's giving Zach that same look in return. He decides to stare up at the lights above them.

Chris is starting to feel cold now, the jacket [Zach's jacket] that had been previously keeping him warm is beginning to grow damp as they stay spread-eagle across the ice. And Chris shivers and sniffles his nose. And he's suddenly extremely self conscious, and he wonders if this whole thing has been a joke on him. Bring him out here to make him fall down. But Zach wouldn't do that to him... And Zach had fallen too. Chris turns his head again, pressing his cheek lightly against the frigid ice, and he sees that Zach is still looking at him with a sober, straight face. They don't speak, and for a second, Chris thinks that he _really_ probably should say something... He starts to, but ever so gently Zach is craning his neck and moving closer towards Chris, and without another second, there's a ghost of a chaste kiss brushing across Chris's lips. 

The kiss is so quick that Chris doesn't have time to close his eyes; Zach has already pulled away. But the older man is staring at him, and Chris is pretty sure that Zach isn't ashamed or embarrassed. Chris feels his face flush and keeps his eyes open as this time he cranes forward and kisses Zach again. He lets his lips linger for a moment and he sees that Zach has let his eyes slip shut. He dares to do the same and now he doesn't feel so cold. Zach is shifting slightly towards him, and he allows the further invasion of personal space as he keeps his lips against his companion's. He feels Zach exhale through his nose and he feels Zach's hand touch his cheek ever so softly, and Chris's lips open slightly. 

And before he knows it, they're actually kissing. His lips are parted and he shivers as the tip of his tongue touches Zach's. It isn't perfect, his neck hurts a little from the awkward way he's straining it, Zach's stubble is scratching a little around his lips, and his ear is getting really cold from resting right above the ice. But for some reason, Chris doesn't really care that much. It's warm in their mouths and for the moment, he's actually forgotten how cold he is and forgotten the weird position they're in. He lifts his right hand off the ice and lets the back of it rest against Zach's cheek. He hears Zach hiss quietly and he mentally laughs as he realizes that his skin is probably ice cold against Zach's face. But keep keeps running the back of his hand across the prickly stubble of Zach's cheek and he keeps letting his tongue press into and pull out of Zach's mouth. And he feels like a bit of peach schnapps on the rocks, and he wants to keep kissing cause Zach tastes good. 

They don't roll closer to each other and they don't speed up their tongues, and Chris is just fine with that. He just sighs quietly into Zach's mouth. He feels Zach's lips curve into a smile and their tongues slow and they've resorted to just lightly pursing their lips together. Zach pulls away first, reluctantly, and Chris slowly opens his eyes, noting how everything is a little hazy when he first cracks his lids. But he's met with Zach's dark eyes and he's sure there's a tiny little smile at the corners of his mouth. Zach is smiling and Chris is pretty sure that he's blushing. 

Zach sits up and stands gingerly, still smiling down at Chris, and Chris just stares up from his back. Zach bends his knees a little and offers his hand out to Chris. Chris grins even wider and slips his fingers into Zach as the dark haired man tugs on it gently. Chris tries to brace himself and he wobbles a little bit, his legs still a little wobbly on the skates. But he makes it up and he's standing face to face with Zach and he realizes they're still holding hands, and Chris lets out a nervous chuckle.

"So," Zach says quietly while still staring at Chris's now flushed face, and Chris waits for him to continue. "You ready to try it again?" 

And Chris laughs and nods nervously. He inches closer [carefully] on the ice towards Zach and Zach's hands fall to his hips. Chris presses his lips against Zach's and suddenly, he feels Zach pulling on his hips, and they're moving - Zach going backwards, pulling Chris forwards once again. And they still haven't stopped kissing. And Chris thinks that's just fine - he may even be willing to hit another patch of gouged ice.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews, friends? You know I live for them. I hope you enjoyed it. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, y'all! 
> 
> I also have a [tumblr](http://commodorecliche.tumblr.com).


End file.
